Gounod

Twelve Part Songs. Omnipotent Lord; Little Celandine; Gitanella; Bright Star of Eve; My True Love Hath My Heart; Take Me Mother Earth; The Farewell; Go Lovely Rose; The Bell; Far From My Native Mountains; Adam Could Find No Solid Peace; Le Loup et L'Agneau The Wolf and the Lamb a Fable from La Fontaine with French and English Words

réf. 57353 — London: Goddard & Co. no date 1872-1873. Part-Song Collection INSCRIBED FIRST EDITIONS with two significant associated inscriptions. Two six-part series bound as one volume. Large octavo 27 x 19cm. With the composer's blue ink stamp-signature to title page of each Part Song. Additionally INSCRIBED in pencil to the composer's sub-conductor of the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society Charles John Hargitt 1833-1918 to 'Omnipotent Lord' and 'The Farewell.' Contemporary burgundy quarter morocco with gilt titles to spine and gilt legend 'From the Composer' to matching cloth over boards. All edges speckled red. Illustrated monogram bookplate of Dr. C.J. Peacock a notable Tunbridge Wells book-collector to front pastedown including a 'book curse.' A subsequent black ink gift inscription to fly-leaf detailing transfer from the sculptor artist and picture-restorer Henry Thomas 'Dover' Schafer 1854-1921 to Tunbridge Wells resident Mahala Camilleri died 1970 dated 1921. An additional slightly erroneous description of provenance in blue ink to a loose sheet of card signed by Mahala including a description of Schafer's career. Erroneous description of provenance in pencil partially erased to rear pastedown. Light toning and spotting throughout. Some tape burns to first title page; second title page torn right across horizontally with tape repairs to verso. Light rubbing and bumping to boards. Head tail and joints of spine heavily rubbed. Very good. A complex chain of provenance has been slightly confused by one owner Mahala Camilleri who notes that the collection was inscribed by the eminent French composer M. Gounod to a 'Marquis de Margett.' The pencil name is actually that of C.J. Hargitt sub-conductor of the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society during Gounod's tenure as the director of the society from 1871 to 1874. Hargitt retired to Tunbridge Wells in 1904 allowing the volume to very briefly enter the collection of Dr. Peacock who leaves his delightful bookplate and then swiftly pass from the picture-restorer Schafer to Camilleri who kept it safe for nearly fifty years. London: Goddard & Co., no date [1872-1873] unknown